Garage door systems typically have sectional door panels that are moved vertically and horizontally via rollers in a track system. The movement force is typically provided by a cooperating cable system which is counterbalanced by a drive bar and spring assembly as a motorized chain or belt assembly is activated, for example, by a garage door opener, to raise and lower the garage door. During installation, the tension springs of the counterbalance spring assembly are wound or tensioned to a predetermined tension so that a minimal force is required to operate the garage door opening and closing sequence.
The proper adjustment of the counter balancing tension springs during installation and in maintenance procedures is often a difficult and sometimes dangerous process. The torque applied to the respective torsion springs requires that the usually fixed winding cone on the drive bar be loosened for winding or unwinding the torsion spring. Typically, elongated winding bars are used to alternately engage winding bar slots or apertures in the cone to thereby torque the spring to a specified tension. The accidental disengagement of a winding bar during this winding or unwinding process can result in unwanted and disastrous consequences.
Although various devices and apparatus have been proposed in the art to easily and safely wind the torsion springs of a garage door system, these devices have been cumbersome, inadequate and/or difficult to operate. The torsion spring torque assembly of the present invention overcomes the problems and difficulties of the prior art, and provides an assembly which easily and safely allows a torsion spring to be torqued by means of a screw gun.